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University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Saint Louis
No. 23 Tar Heels Hold Off Feisty Billikens, 75-63
December 8, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 8, 2005
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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - Freshman Tyler Hansbrough scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half Wednesday night to lead No. 23 North Carolina past Saint Louis 75-63.
David Noel had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Tar Heels (5-1), who followed their weekend upset of Kentucky by holding off the pesky Billikens in the first matchup between the programs since 1959. Reyshawn Terry added 14 points.
Anthony Drejaj had 16 points to lead Saint Louis (3-3), which led by three points at halftime but had no answer for Hansbrough after the break.
The Tar Heels were shorthanded in this one. While sophomore point guard Quentin Thomas missed his third straight game due to a stress fracture in his left foot, coach Roy Williams roamed the sideline gingerly after straining his back sometime after Tuesday's practice.
Williams sat on a raised black stool between his bench and the scorer's table for much of the game, which kept him upright and prevented him from having to move too much.
He occasionally got up to shout instructions, walk the sideline or talk to a player on the bench in the first half - though he wasn't about to lean forward to do it.
But as the game went on and the young Tar Heels found themselves in a tight contest, the coach became more animated on the sideline.
His team eventually responded in the second half, particularly Hansbrough. The 6-foot-9 freshman had four points in the first half, but got going quickly after the break and attacked the bigger Ian Vouyoukas inside.
Hansbrough scored three baskets on the Tar Heels' first four possessions of the second half to help North Carolina erase a 34-31 halftime deficit with a 13-0 run. Hansbrough knocked down two hook shots, then powered over Vouyoukas for a basket and a foul during that spurt, which ended with Terry's 3-pointer for a 44-34 lead with 17:20 left.
While Saint Louis answered with an 11-point run of its own to take a brief lead, the Tar Heels went ahead to stay when Noel found Terry for a reverse layup and a 46-45 lead with 13:11 left.
From there, the inexperienced Tar Heels performed more like a veteran team, answering runs from the Billikens with big baskets of their own. Reserve Wes Miller hit two straightaway 3-pointers - one with his team holding a one-point lead - and Hansbrough added a hanging layup off a screen-and-roll feed from Bobby Frasor for a three-point play and a 64-58 lead with 4:06 left.
The Tar Heels gradually increased that lead, with Hansbrough slamming down a rebound of a missed shot by Frasor for a 73-60 lead with 1:06 left.
